Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The next 2 days we spent driving, we hit the Four Corners - because you HAVE to do that tourist trap. Headed back up through Colorado, and to Mesa Verde - our final National Park on the trip.

Four corners was the most expensive site we visited - all for a quick picture standing on the little 4 corners medallion. TOTAL tourist trap. But, when else can you say you've been in 4 states at once?

Taken before selfie sticks were in :)

Our last stop was Mesa Verde in Colorado. Mesa Verde is full of cliff dwellings that date back to around 1200. It is amazing to see these "mansions" built in the side of the cliffs - and to see that so many of them are still in tact. We even had the opportunity to take a tour of one of the dwellings on our second day in Mesa Verde - and I definitely recommend doing it. Tickets are cheap, the national park guides are so knowledgeable, and you get to crawl through the dwelling and stand inside each of the rooms. TOO cool.

We spent one night in Mesa Verde at the hotel in the park, finally got to try a Navajo Taco, and then set out for Grand Junction to fly home the next day.

We passed through Telluride on our way back to Grand Junction, and many other scenic towns on our drive. It was absolutely beautiful - there was still snow in some areas.

We had such an incredible trip. Utah is unlike any state I've ever seen, the National Parks we visited are some of my favorites, and I can't express how beautiful these places are in person. Pictures simply don't do them justice - everyone should have these places on their bucket list.

The next morning we woke up early to head to one of our most anticipated stops of the trip - Lower Antelope Canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon is run by the Navajo, and it's not the best facility (overflowing porta potties #ew). But, when we were there they were currently under construction with a new building for the site so it may be better now. They offer a photographer tour - which allows a private guided tour in order for you to take a professional camera and get the National Geographic type shots. Daddy took that tour and got some incredible photographs, and we took the normal tour and got some pretty good shots on our phones.

One of Daddy's shots

It's amazing to walk through these canyons, and see the way the water has shaped the structures.

Me and mama climbing back out of the canyons.

After visiting Lower Antelope Canyon we headed over to Glen Canyon Dam and to see Lake Powell - which was beautiful.

And then before sunset we headed back to Horseshoe Bend one last time, because it's just too beautiful not to visit twice. Yet again, the place was swarmed with people capturing the beautiful sunset.